(If this has already been covered, mods please merge into the appropriate thread; I spent some time searching recent threads but did not spot any on point)

In trying to make a change to a US FF tix which includes a segment on AA (due to unexpected family matter), after confirming availability to make the change, I was told by US CS that absolutely no changes were permitted when there is a segment on a "partner" airline and that AA was a partner airline, barring a travel advisory. The rep did call "another dept" to confirm that she was interpreting that correctly and relayed that information to me when she came back on the line. (And of course that "absolutely no changes" includes a huge asterisk: unless the airlines want to make a change.)

Given the legacy of these carriers being separately owned and operated entities, it makes sense that previously they should be viewed as separate airlines. But with the merger (where usually 2 entities enter but only one leaves), I am wondering if that is still the case. The headline on the Press Room page is "Creating a stronger airline for you" (note that "airline" is singular), and just below that are the logos for each of AA and US. Also, their press materials and traffic reports seem to aggregate the operations of both divisions. Thus, their PR and legal teams seem to be looking at these divisions as unified.

To reiterate my questions, are these two airlines or two brands of the same airline? Thoughts or opinions? Thanks.

TRRed

 

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"The headline on the Press Room page is "Creating a stronger airline for you" (note that "airline" is singular)"

Note that "Creating" indicates that the single airline has not yet been "created." The merger of the two airlines is not expected to be completed until sometime in 2015, when US Airways will disappear.

 

Praise the Lord

 

In a merger situation, things are different, especially in airlines as there are so many different rules. To be one airline, you need one operating certificate, which has not been obtained yet. Hence they are now two airlines under the same management and ownership, but with different systems and staff. An AA reservation agent cannot access the US System and make changes (and vice versa). Hence you have to navigate the maze of operating airline and issuing airline. In simple words, you may need to call AA for somethings and US for other things pertaining to the same travel journey. This is true in case of most code shares, even if the airlines have different ownership.

This will continue to be the case till they merge the reservation systems, when there will be one system and at that time they will obtain a single operating certificate and quickly sunset the US Air Company and have only AA going forward. This expected to happen towards the end of 2015. Till then confusion will continue. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks.

 

Your CS rep may be wrong (not surprising for US, they regularly screw up in applying their own rules).

http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...mberguide.html

Has your travel begun?

 

Sadly, it seems that while the US brand will disappear, AA will continue the long tradition of offering the typically subpar US product just in the name of AA.

To the OP, until the two airlines are officially merged together, they should be considered two separate entities. Yes, these days they're offering roughly the same product, but until they're merged together fully, they will continue to have operational disagreements such as this.

 

You can change FF award tickets, be they on partners or on US, as long as the award seating inventory is available as you say you checked. But of course there will be change fees.

Call again..talk to another agent.

 

From the title, it seems this might be the right place to ask: what is the process for the single Operating Certificate from the FAA? Is this something that US/AA controls (i.e., makes a request for) or it this something that the bureaucracy (FAA) does on it own time scale? I guess I'm asking if the airline(s) determine(s) when the time is right (they had done all the required things they feel they need to do) or if the government waits to see that all the pieces are in place. If the former, I suspect IT systems integration, merging of FF programs, who does what/when/where (pilot and air crew assignments), possible relocation of some employees and bases, etc. would have to be complete. Does the airline certify to the FAA that all is in place and then the FAA checks on these things and grants the certificate? Or, is US/AA waiting on the FAA to observe and determine all is complete? Is this why it takes so long after the legal merger?

 

That's what I would have said... until I realized the "new AA" is really just going to be US with a new name...

 

This article from the united website may throw some light on your question "What does it take to get a single operating certificate?"

https://hub.united.com/en-us/news/co...rtificate.aspx

My understanding is that when the two airlines can show that they have merged not just the people or the equipment, but also the processes, procedures and systems, they can then ask FAA to approve the SOC. Once FAA is satisfied that they can operate as one company, they will provide the approval. At that stage the second company will move everyone and everything to the first company and sunset itself.

For example, if US has one set of instructions to their pilots and AA has another, they cannot operate as one company. Once they have a common system (which could be as simple as make US pilots follow the AA system or it could be a new system which has elements of both), then a box is checked off. Once all boxes are checked off, then FAA can give its approval.

Hope this helps.

 

It's really more of a collaborative effort between the airline and the FAA. The company submitted a plan to the FAA with timelines for phasing in changes. The plan was approved by the FAA, and every month or so some procedures and processes are aligned, with a target of aligning everything, and earning the SOC, in April. Operationally, most of the changes are happening on the US side, to change to the way AA does things. For example, several months ago we changed the way US pilots notify flight attendants that we are about to takeoff or land. Most recently, in early December, RC7 (revision change 7) was implemented, out of a total, IIRC, of 9. Each RC is approved by the FAA before being implemented, and once RC9 is in effect, the airlines will be operating exactly the same way.

Even when the SOC is complete, there will still be operational separation of crews for at least a few months. We are expected to complete pilot seniority integration around the end of 2015, after which AA and US pilots will be combined and able to fly together or be based together. For purposes of SOC, the FAA doesn't care about things like FF programs and employee contracts... they are concerned about actual operations and safety issues.

 

Thanks to middlekingdom and T/BE20/G! Happy New Year to all.